228
Area code
Statusin service
Introduced1997-09-15
JurisdictionMS, US
Local dialing7D
Time zoneCentral
Last verified2026-09-17
Utilization 37.2% of assignable prefixes assigned
As of 09/17/2026
0%295 of ~792 assignable NXX values (200–999 excl. N11)100%
Prefix-level assignment does not equal number-level exhaustion; thousands-block pooling extends capacity. First assignment on record 2001-02-27, most recent 2026-07-22.
Area codes serve rate-center geographies, not municipal boundaries. “MS” identifies the jurisdiction, not an exact city footprint.
Top assignees
Ranked by assigned prefixes · initial assignee ≠ current carrier| Rank | Assignee | Prefixes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | BELLSOUTH TELECOMM INC DBA SOUTH CENTRAL BELL TEL | 66 | 22.4% |
| 02 | NEW CINGULAR WIRELESS PCS, LLC - GA | 26 | 8.8% |
| 03 | PAETEC ITEL, LLC | 25 | 8.5% |
| 04 | CELLCO PARTNERSHIP DBA VERIZON WIRELESS - MS | 20 | 6.8% |
| 05 | ONVOY, LLC - MS | 16 | 5.4% |
| 06 | TELEPAK NETWORKS, INC. - MS | 15 | 5.1% |
| 07 | LEVEL 3 COMMUNICATIONS, LLC - MS | 15 | 5.1% |
| 08 | CELLULAR SOUTH, INC. | 13 | 4.4% |
| 09 | 12 | 4.1% | |
| 10 | ELISKA WIRELESS VENTURES SUBSIDIARY I, LLC | 11 | 3.7% |
Important: these are initial assignees from NANPA CO-code records — the carrier a prefix was originally assigned to. Because of number portability, the current serving carrier of any individual number may differ.
Change history
Recorded events for this NPA- 1997-09-15Area code 228 entered service (created from 601).
Planning letters & orders
Primary documents| Date | Document | Subject |
|---|---|---|
| 1997-07-31 | PL-079 ↗ | NANP-Split of 601 (Mississippi) Numbering Plan Area (NPA) |